Premier League 2014-15 Preview: Part two

 

The £100m post-Gareth Bale spend resulted in instability and the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, with straight-talking Tim Sherwood guiding Spurs to sixth despite knowing he was gone irrespective of results

 

Key ins: Ben Davies, Michel Vorm, Eric Dier. Key outs: Heurelho Gomes, Jake Livermore, Gylfi Sigurdsson

 

Andros Townsend. Started last season with a bang but injury preceded a gradual fading. Needs to remind people what initial hype was about

 

A new dawn always brings fresh hope but with all top sides strengthening and Man Utd expected to improve, Spurs face uphill task to meet goal of a Champions League place

 

No such thing at Spurs with Mauricio Pochettino the 10th appointment this century, but the Argentine will surely have a season to instil methods which worked so well at Southampton

 

 

Pochettino could end up being an inspired choice but the squad at his disposal doesn’t look good enough to finish anywhere higher than sixth. Spurs fans won’t like it, but I forecast a transitional season

 

 

 

Four successive wins in February saved the injury-plagued Hammers from a relegation dogfight as West Ham ultimately eased to a 13th-placed finish

 

Key ins: Mauro Zarate, Cheikhou Kouyate, Aaron Cresswell, Diego Poyet, Enner Valencia, Carl Jenkinson. Key outs: Joe Cole, Matt Taylor, George McCartney

 

Mark Noble. An ever-present for his boyhood club last season but at 27 time is running out for the cultured midfielder to get a sniff of an England cap

 

Manager Sam Allardyce has been ordered to deliver an entertaining top-10 finish but without Andy Carroll until November or a proven goalscorer on the books that looks difficult

 

Allardyce’s style doesn’t match club traditions, so defeat to Spurs this week will signal intense pressure. He needs a fast start, yet Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn were all relegated after he left

 

 

West Ham supporters don’t like Big Sam’s style but, with a move to a bigger stadium so close, staying in the top flight has to be their priority, so the fans’ best bet is to get behind him